The United States’ bid for Olympic gold in boxing started as early as mid-2007 when U.S. boxing organization held tryouts and nominated 11 boxers to be part of the U.S. boxing team. Those who survived the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials include:
2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team106 lbs: Luis Yanez, Duncanville, Texas
112 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio
119 lbs: Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.
125 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio
132 lbs: Sadam Ali, Brooklyn, N.Y.
141 lbs: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif.
152 lbs: Demetrius Andrade, Providence, R.I.
165 lbs: Shawn Estrada, Downey, Calif.
178 lbs: Christopher Downs, Fort Carson, Colo.
201 lbs: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
201+ lbs: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.
However, these boxers were not automatically given Olympic slots. They still have to earn their right to fight in the Olympics Games. As a team, the boxers chose Luis Yanez and Christopher Downs as their co-captains. Downs also hold the recognition of being the oldest boxer to be part of the U.S. Olympic Team at 32 years old.
As of the moment, only five of the boxers have been confirmed to have secured their respective slots in the Olympic Games. Yanez qualified for the Beijing Olympics by through a quarterfinal finish in last year’s AIBA World Championships. The AIBA boxing tourney also paved the way for Rau’shee Warren, Gary Russell, Jr., Raynell Williams, and Demetrius Andrade.
For the remaining boxers who have yet to qualify, 2008 held much promise as the Americas Qualifying Tournaments were set for the months of March and April. For the remaining boxers, a Top 3 finish is at least required to qualify for a Beijing berth.
On a separate note, the team currently trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado to prepare for the Beijing Olympics. The 11-member team is recognized as the first participants in boxing’s first resident program at the said training center in its 20-year history.
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